Kate Bush | Running Up That Hill (1985)
"Running Up That Hill" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was the first single from her 1985 album Hounds of Love, released in the United Kingdom on 5 August 1985.
1985-08-05 19:00:00 - Music Video
It was her first 12-inch single. It was the most successful of Bush's 1980s releases, entering the UK Singles Chart at number 9 and eventually peaking at number 3, her second-highest single peak.
The single also had an impact in the United States, providing Bush with her first chart hit there since 1978, where it reached the top 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and featured prominently in the dance charts. Bush also performed the song live for the first time with David Gilmour of Pink Floyd at the Secret Policeman's Third Ball in 1987.
The song's title for Hounds of Love and all subsequent releases was "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)".
The B-side of the 7-inch single contains Bush's song "Under the Ivy". The 12-inch single contains an extended remix and an instrumental version of "Running Up That Hill", as well as "Under the Ivy". A limited 7-inch single gatefold sleeve edition was also released.
The song has been critically acclaimed. In a retrospective review of the single, AllMusic journalist Amy Hanson wrote: "Always adept at emotion and beautifully able to manipulate even the most bitter of hearts, rarely has Bush penned such a brutally truthful, painfully sensual song."
The song was featured as the main theme tune for the 1986 BBC 1 children's drama serial Running Scared, and in 2022 on season 4 of Stranger Things, the latter leading to the song's resurgence on song charts.